WAVERLY, Iowa – Men's basketball was unable to complete a comeback win over Coe College today as the Kohawks held off the Knights 62-55 inside of Levick Arena on Saturday, Jan. 24.
The Knights trailed by as many as 11 points and now move to 11-7 overall and 3-6 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play. Coe now moves to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in A-R-C play.
Game Summary
- First Half
- It was all Coe to begin the first half as the Kohawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the first three and a half minutes of play
- The Knights got on the board seconds later when Austin Bienemann went 1/2 from the free throw line to make the score 7-1
- The Kohawks led 12-1 before Wartburg was able to connect on its first field goal of the game after a Luke Ladwig floater found the bottom of the net
- Trailing 14-3, Ladwig knocked down a thee pointer before both Gabe Trujillo and Drake Wemark scored in the paint to make the score 17-10 with 11:22 left in the half
- The Knights brought the score within five points following buckets from both Bienemann and Cael Schramm before Ethan Yungtum lined up a triple to make the score 22-17 with just over seven minutes left in the first half
- Wemark and Bienemann combined for seven-straight points after a second two-handed slam from Bienemann brought the Knights within three points as Coe clung to a 27-24 lead with 2:19 left in the half
- Each team scored three points in the final minutes to send the game to halftime with a score of 30-27, Coe in front
- Wartburg's last points of the half came via alley-oop dunk when Ladwig found Bienemann in transition
- Second Half
- Coe outscored Wartburg 7-3 out of the break to take a 37-30 lead despite a made three pointer from Lyle Olsen
- Ladwig and Bienemann combined for six points over the next two minutes to bring the deficit back to five points with just over 13 minutes left to play
- Six-straight Wartburg points gave Wartburg its first lead of the contest (42-41) with 11:31 left to play
- Yungtum, Trujillo and Ladwig all scored for the Knights
- Following a Coe timeout, the Kohawks outscored Wartburg 9-2 over the next four minutes of play to regain control of the game with a 50-44 lead
- Mason Matson scored two points at the free throw line for the Knights
- A Yungtum three ball with 5:17 left in regulation made it a 52-49 lead for Coe before each team made two free throws the next possession
- Bienemann made two free throws for the Knights to cut the deficit to three points with four minutes left, but Coe answered with five-straight points to push the Coe lead to 59-51 with 2:52 left to play
- Both Ladwig and Schramm made baskets in the paint to keep the Knights alive, but Coe was able to hold off the Knights at the free throw line to secure a 62-55 win over Wartburg
Top Performers
Notes/Streaks
- Now 1-1 against Coe this season
- Each road team won in 2025-26
- Wartburg still leads the all-time series 46-35
- Held Coe to fewest points in the series since 2018-19
- Seventh time this season with three steals for Ladwig
- Coe held a 44-35 edge in rebounding
- Lyle Olsen has made a three pointer in five of his last seven games played
- Wartburg's bench outscored Coe's bench 11-6 and the Knights won the turnover battle 8-4
Next Time Out
The Knights continue A-R-C play on Wednesday, Jan. 28 on the road in Decorah, Iowa against Luther College at 7:30 p.m.
